Board 8 > Mortal Kombat Fatality Ranking: Test Your Might!

(+) Yeah! (+)

50. Soultaker (Shang Tsung, MKDA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxZc-u9rlNE
Shang Tsung must have absorbed Ermacs soul just before using this fatality, as it seems to be influencing him. I like the impact of each slam, with blood and gibs splattering on the floor, as well as the finishing jump with the shockwave and souls flying around. It sells how strong Shang Tsung can be. He tends to be a more magical character, so this fatality serves as a reminder that he can pose a physical threat as well.

49. Telekinetic Slams (Ermac, MKD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdFdEwYlflI
Weve seem Ermac slamming his opponent really fast until they explode. Weve seen him slam them once, but he does it really, really hard. This fatality is the baby bears porridge of Ermac slamming people. He slams them twice fast first, then he finishes them off with a really hard explosive slam. Its the best of both worlds. Its also pretty wholesome that Ermac says Yes! once hes finished. Its like he knows hes done a good job.

48. Telekinetic Tear (Ermac, MKD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeIbbayCh1s
Instead of tossing people around, Ermac uses his powers to crumple his opponent up into a ball. He then decides this isnt messy enough, and stretches them out until they rip in half. The first part is quite original, as we dont see telekinesis used like that in Mortal Kombat very often. This fatality was good enough that Green Lantern copied it for Mortal Kombat VS DC, although Hal seems to think if he stops at the crushing into a tiny ball part, that his opponent is still alive. Its either that, or hes going through another Parallax phase and doesnt care about plausible deniability.

47. Double Down (Shao Kahn, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWIOTMLlgII
If Shao Kahn is in a hurry and youre ahead of him in a queue, always let him go ahead of you. If you do it fast enough, he might not use this fatality on you. Heres Johnny! played this concept for laughs, but this fatality goes for the cool, powerful approach by having Shao Kahn rip the opponent in half while walking through them, instead of making a hole like Johnny did and leaving it at that.

46. Freeze and Throw (Sub Zero, MKD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td2wU7rTG1Q
When you have ice powers, sometimes you want to have fun with them. Sub Zero is no exception, as he tests himself by shattering a frozen opponent with a thrown object. Scorpion stole his Spine Rip in this game, so Sub Zero only takes the head to use as his throwing implement of choice. Besides, the head would be harder to throw accurately and forcefully with the spinal cord still attached and impacting the aerodynamics of the projectile.

45. The Impaler (Reiko, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8PXNNTvnMw
Reiko uses a staff to cut parts off of the opponent one by one, before impaling them on the staff. So far so Jade, but then comes the part Jade would never do. Reiko grabs the opponents ribcage and pulls it out of them, dragging them down until their head is impaled and can go no further. The ending camera angle of the head on top of the staff, while the innards are visible below it, is a very gruesome shot to end on. Who hurt you, Reiko?

44. Telekinetic Contortion (Kenshi, MKDA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_XSakjmyeU
For this fatality, Kenshi doesnt use his sword, only his telekinesis. However, dont let the lack of sword action trick you into thinking the opponent is getting off lightly. Kenshi contorting the opponent and breaking their limbs with his powers makes this one the most painful bloodless fatalities. Since they like their film references, its a surprise that Midway didnt go all the way and recreate the head explosion from Scanners. This may have been even higher if they had. Fun fact: if you use this fatality in a Kenshi mirror match, his eyes wont pop out because his blindfold is keeping them in place.

43. Split Ends (Kenshi, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l8ZBMASuWI
For someone as stylish as Kenshi, simply cutting people in half isnt enough. Using telekinesis to move the sword is better, but sometimes he wants to toy with people and give them false hope, which is when he does this. I like to think the opponent is thinking Ha, you missed! How could you miss when I was right in front of you? until theyre force pushed back into the blade. Thats a push a Jedi could be proud of, and the slow motion is employed well, giving you time to realise whats about to happen, just as the opponent is coming to the same conclusion.

42. Show of Hands (Tanya, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IqkwqAicR8
The magic hands were in Tanyas other MK1 fatality as well, but she puts them to better use here, holding the opponent in place while she prepares her javelin throw. The return of the action replay lets us see the money shot from a different angle, which in this case shows the body being destroyed in a totally different way. Its almost like two fatalities in one.

41. For the General (Reiko, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OitOnPaAGw
For this fatality, Reiko takes a page out of Haviks playbook, bending his opponent out of shape and using their own body against them. Whats more, he upstages the Cleric of Chaos by doing it only mutilating his opponent and not himself. To finish, he pulls off a Spine Rip of his own. Here as well, Reiko manages to differentiate from his inspiration Reiko took the skull and spinal cord, but the head remains, and you can see it sag as theres nothing left inside to give it facial structure. I repeat: who hurt you, Reiko?

Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, Tanya and Reiko are eliminated. 24 kharacters remain.

My #1 is still in which is honestly pretty crazy

Wouldn't it be great if we both had the same number 1? When we're this close, I hope it happens.

40. Spaghettification (Liu Kang, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQEwo-e-qKY
Liu Kang is a benevolent god. Hes a nice enough guy that when he recreated the universe, he even reincarnated past villains under different circumstances so that they could be given the opportunity to redeem themselves, or failing that, to cause less trouble than last time. That isnt to say hes a pushover, however. As this fatality demonstrates, should you cross him, he will not hesitate to END you. If Injustice had fatalities, I could easily see Regime Superman doing this to some poor shmuck he decided needed to be made an example of.

39. Both Ends (Quan Chi, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6wDIIkh-I
Quan Chi thinks with portals in cruel ways. I wonder what would have happened if he had held his opponent in between the two portals for longer, preventing them from fully going through one of them to emerge from the other? Would it damage their bodies from being held in the portal for too long? Would they go mad from seeing their body in two places at once? The portals closing and cutting them in half is almost a mercy once you go into possibilities like that.

38. Stalag-might (Tremor, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a6trB8wLMk
I dont think Tremor could have chosen three more painful places for his opponent to be impaled from behind. At least they wont need to sit on a rubber ring for the foreseeable future, thanks to Tremor mercy killing them with a head crush between two fist boulders.

37. Face Grind (Kung Lao, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfYdQQUzDMI
Kung Lao can throw or slash with his hat, but here he uses it as a circular saw instead, and pushes his opponent into it head first. This is made more memorable from the way the opponent is given a moment before Kung Lao steps on them, and they also try to resist him before his foot wins out. Kung Lao used a variant of this fatality on Nitara in the recent movie, although in that case Nitara flew right into it without Kung Lao needing to push her. I thought zombies were the stupid undead, not vampires!

36. As One (Noob, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P99EfcSOsk
Between this and Quan Chis fatality, closing portals while people are travelling through them is another winner for me. Theres only one portal this time in comparison to Quan Chis two, but Noob makes up for it with style as the portal closes in slow motion, giving the bisection more impact. Big ups to the opponent as well for crawling to try and attack Noob. This may be one of the fatalities where the opponent survives longest after the attack finishes, aside from the ones where they don't die obviously.

35. Spinal Smash (Sub Zero, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8QCRl6tLBs
Throwing a frozen head in Deception was cool, but now that Scorpion has given the Spine Rip back, Sub Zero can do what he really wanted to last time. Using the head to whip the frozen body and holding the spinal column as a whip is just the kind of creativity I like to see in Mortal Kombat.

34. Heart Condition (Skarlet, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc00-ffIK5g
This may be more basic than usual for Skarlet, but this is the most squeamish fatality in the series for me because it goes inside the body. The heart beating faster as its overloaded with blood grosses me right out because it gives a more realistic touch thats missing from the more outwardly gruesome or outlandish fatalities.

33. Chest Kold (Sub Zero, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0heDu_gSt8
This one begins as what seems to be another take on the Spine Rip, but it turns out Sub Zero is getting bored of that by now, and instead takes this in a new direction, instead using the spine as leverage to rip his opponent in half. This one is made effective by the surprise factor, as well as seeing new takes on old fatalities. In addition to the Spine Rip, Sub Zero holding the opponent above his head while he rips them in half also brings his MK3 fatality to mind where he froze the opponent above his head and shattered them.

32. Better Than One (Ferra/Torr, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRuGpjwt3ao
Master Blaster rules, Making a Mortal Kombat character who is basically Master Blaster in all but name also rules. The way Torr holds the opponent reminds me of how the Shokan hold people during some of their fatalities, while Ferra flipping over them and cutting them in half on her way down gives us something the Shokan wouldnt be able to do while they were still holding the opponent. Im currently undecided on which stage would make the best stand-in for the Thunderdome, so I will have to get on that.

31. Double Dragon (Liu Kang, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcjI2xIm0To
Nice reference Liu Kang, but do you have time to be playing video games in addition to your duties as protector of EarthRealm? His divine promotion gives him access to a pair of fatalities that are a lot flashier than his more functional older ones. This one also serves as an evolution of his dragon fatality, where instead of turning into one himself, Liu Kang conjures up two dragons with his magic to hold the opponent in place. After Liu Kang used this on Shang Tsung in the announcement trailer, Im surprised Shang continued with his schemes instead of deciding he was out of his depth, and to be content with having the one universe where he won.

Tremor, Skarlet and Liu Kang are eliminated. 21 kharacters remain.

GavsEvans123 posted...

40. Spaghettification (Liu Kang, MK1)

Liu Kang shows up as a god for one game and already beats anything Raiden's ever done

GavsEvans123 posted...

32. Better Than One (Ferra/Torr, MKX)

I'm disappointed they didn't bring back Ferra/Torr; the whole lumbering giant/tiny gremlin combo is easily one of my favorite character tropes

GavsEvans123 posted...

31. Double Dragon (Liu Kang, MK1)

This makes me want to see what Injustice could pull off if the characters weren't pulling their punches

When you think about it, Liu Kang's Spaghettification Fatality is pretty sadistic. The opponent wheezing implies they're both trying to scream and suffocating.

30. Take a Spin (Baraka, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iug02KDSsak
A simple concept, but this is a lot of fun. The spin has to be fast enough for crashing into Barakas blade is enough to cut pieces off, and a nice bonus to that effect is that the cut off pieces are sent flying on impact.

29. My Puppet (Kenshi, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgg1bTK5R6o
Freddy must have rubbed off on Kenshi when they met in MK9, because Kenshi is doing something quite similar to that time Freddy operated someone as a puppet by using their tendons as the strings. The finishing blow is a little underwhelming with Kenshi simply cutting the strings, but at the same time Im not sure what could have been done instead and everything up until then is so good that it doesnt matter too much. Kenshis bow is a good way to end this. He may come up with some twisted ways to kill people, but at least he shows respect.

28. Torn Apart (Goro, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc9oXPxXz8g
Goro takes a different approach to ripping limbs off here, as he doesnt rip them all off at once, instead going for the legs first, followed by the arms. Hes not done yet, as he rips the body in half too! Slow motion on the body rip is used well to emphasise the blood spray.

27. Inner Workings (Ermac, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6J7DNNFp6A
Ive always associated Mortal Kombat X as having a darker edge to it in terms of its design, and nasty fatalities like this one are part of the reason why. Vomiting up internal organs is bad enough, but doing it like this where they come out slowly and move into the camera is even more gruesome.

26. Teamwork (Triborg, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF05-qwq1w8
Teamwork makes the dream work, and in this case, the dream involves murder. Each of the three cyborgs gets a moment to shine here, although by personal favourite is Cyrax and Smoke holding the opponent in place while Sektor does a rocket uppercut. Its a shame there arent alternate versions of this fatality depending on which variant youre using. That way, Cyber Sub Zero could have joined in if you were using the secret variation.

25. Road Rash (Kabal, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dw5alin1KA
JB wanted to see what would happen if Injustice didnt pull its punches, and this fatality gives us an idea of what we could expect from that hypothetical Flash: using super speed to cause a serious case of friction burn. If that werent creative enough, Kabal running back in the opposite direction to get his hookswords so the speeding opponent can fly right into them is an excellent way to finish this.

24. Krash and Burn (Johnny Cage, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6fP2w2pCC0
This fatality is a good example of the difference ending strong can make. For a lot of it, I didnt think this was anything special and was looking at being somewhere in the lower half of the ranking. Then Johnny started the car and it drove off, with the opponent being dragged along by their intestines, which are stuck in the door. That touch of Itchy and Scratchy-esque violence made me burst out laughing and saw this rocket up the list faster than Johnnys car speeds into the nearest wall before it crashes and explodes.

23. Feeding Time (Shang Tsung, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZLKSf0m77o
Shang Tsung must be a master alchemist if he can do stuff like this! The potion in Shang Tsungs other fatality was highly acidic, and the bubbling at the start of the fatality suggests this will go the same way, only for the snake to appear as a bait and switch. I wonder if the potion coagulated into the snake after being poured, or if the potion turned something inside the opponents body into a snake? The snake joining in during the win pose is also a lot of fun.

22. Shokan Amputation (Goro, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdDU5l_sgBI
Goros picked up some tricks from Sheeva, and has now added them to his own limb ripping arsenal. While he can usually rip them off relatively easily, Goro needs to put in a bit more effort this time because of the different positioning, and that hes able to do it reflects well on his strength.

21. Playtime (Ferra/Torr, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV-n-nmZemk
This fatality is another example of something that only a duo could do. Torr throws Ferra in a lethal Fastball Special, and the two pay little regard to getting Ferra out again without causing any further damage. They do this whenever they need to demonstrate who runs Barter Town. To summarise; creative idea, new species, fun to play as, two excellent fatalities remind me again why these two arent popular?

All of today's kharacters except Kenshi are eliminated. 14 kharacters remain. I noticed yesterday that I miscounted and counted one less at some point, so if the maths don't match up with what I posted before, that's why.

GavsEvans123 posted...

JB wanted to see what would happen if Injustice didnt pull its punches, and this fatality gives us an idea of what we could expect from that hypothetical Flash: using super speed to cause a serious case of friction burn. If that werent creative enough, Kabal running back in the opposite direction to get his hookswords so the speeding opponent can fly right into them is an excellent way to finish this.

I watched this thinking "Man this reminds me a lot of the Flash finisher" before reading the description.

I swear we're on the exact same wavelength

GavsEvans123 posted...

21. Playtime (Ferra/Torr, MKX)

I played a lot as F/T in MKX, and this one always cracked me out. Ferra's little shout to get pulled back out sells it for me

Onto the top 20!

20. Hook and Sinker (Leatherface, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8pQhiGQAns
This is another really brutal one that fits the dark atmosphere of Mortal Kombat X. Simply cutting someone in half with the chainsaw wouldnt be enough for a fatality, so the earlier parts with the meat tenderizer and meat hook are used to both increase the violence factor, and to establish the grimy character that makes this unique to Leatherface. Well done for having the highest ranked fatality for a guest character, Leatherface! Go celebrate by treating yourself to a pretty mask or something. Just try not to think about where the meat hook came down from when this fatality is used outdoors.

19. Frozen in Time (Sub Zero, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOcbO6RSNXk
This fatality incorporates a bit of everything from Sub Zeros moveset. He uses the ice clone, which he doesnt tend to use in fatalities so thats another point in its favour, as a trap. He uses the ice slide to knock his opponent into the trap. Then comes the upside down spine rip, and flexing by slamming the head down onto the ice clones outstretched spear. Its fun to see his individual moves combined like this, and the clone into slide in particular is possible in gameplay, albeit without the spear.

18. The Scarecrow (Sektor, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX6kqFgOz4A
Of all the ways people could be killed in Mortal Kombat 9, this may be one of the most creative. I like how after being hit with the device, the opponent panics while Sektor is typing into his wrist pad. They dont know what it does yet, but they know it wont be something good! How sudden the result is also makes this really shocking, as it takes a moment to register what happens. Why do the Lin Kuei or the Tekunin even need scarecrows? Surely its too cold in the Lin Kueis regions for them to grow crops, and the Tekunin are cyborgs who dont need to eat.

17. War Ritual (Nightwolf, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=786WKVGpPoA
I mentioned during the bear fatality that Nightwolf has two excellent fatalities in MK11, and heres his second one. Weve seen him use his tomahawks before, but the results this time are much more violent than before. Pulling the jaw takes a big chunk of the opponents skin with it, while the result of the tomahawk throw is also more impressive than it has been in the past. Was this ritual intended to deter any other tribes from picking a fight with Nightwolfs tribe?

16. Cant Die (Dvorah, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjJEfVB0M3Y
Youll wish you could die if Dvorah used this on you! Mortal Kombat 11 had a couple of fatalities where the opponents skin was peeled off, but this one makes the most sense, as Dvorah restrains the opponent with goo, then uses her appendages to peel the skin off. She manages to do it in a very painful way too, with the camera getting a clear view of the opponents remains. Was it not enough for her to kill Baraka once?

15. Eye-solated (Rain, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Kh6VVTexY
This fatality is another one that mixes several different ideas. Rains watery destructo disc has multiple applications, as he can use it to cut people in half both horizontally and vertically, and the highly pressurized water from it shoots upwards to flay the upper half of the body. The finish where he catches the eyes in a bubble is just the sort of touch that makes a fatality funny instead of offputting.

14. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (Sindel, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oHwUO51GYY
Sindel goes through a lot of shampoo as it is with all that hair, so she does things like this to make herself feel that its not going to waste. This is a fatality I really wouldnt want done on me, because having so much hair in my mouth would taste awful, not to mention having it move around inside me. Yuck! It also shows us just how much mastery Sindel has over her hair by this stage, having gained enough control to use it in fiendish new applications. Would it be better to watch this on an empty stomach, or after eating?

13. Roman Candle (Li Mei, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SInK8ejJ8nU
This fatality is even flashier than Li Meis other fatality in this game. Using the opponents insides as a fuse to light her fireworks is delightfully creative, as does the decapitating flip kick that further extends the fuse. The light show when the fireworks go off is very pretty, almost as if Li Meis victory is being celebrated.

12. New Species (Dvorah, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsmvyP2XgNY
Wheres Kurt Russell with a flamethrower when you need him? This fatality leans hard into horror as Dvorahs spawn incubates inside the opponent, bursting out of the body in horrific fashion. Dont let anyone who suffers from arachnophobia watch this unless youre a sadist and its April 1st.

11. Below Freezing (Sub Zero, MKD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ltYqdklC4
Speaking of sadism, Kuai Liang seems to be taking after his more malicious older brother for this one. After freezing his opponents legs and breaking them off, he slowly follows them while their upper half drags itself away, pleading for mercy. I think the finishing stomp is less putting them out of their misery and more Sub Zero has had enough of toying with them.

All of today's kharacters are eliminated. 5 kharacters remain. Next time, the top 10!

GavsEvans123 posted...

12. New Species (Dvorah, MK11)

damn, my #1 finally dropped

I don't think any fatality has ever made my jaw just drop the way this one did, every single step of the way here is terrifying. There's like 4 different places where lesser fatalities would've stopped, but this one just kept going

We were this close to greatness. This close!

I miscounted the remaining characters again yesterday. There are actually 6 left, not 5. Forget about violent video games making you violent, they make you lose the ability to count as well. No matter - At last, the top 10 is here. Final round, fight!

10. Leg Beatdown (Quan Chi, MK4)
9. Beatdown (Quan Chi, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rUhzWty1t8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxCEXoeuy_Y
The original fatality that carries on forever. Kronika has dominion over time, but all Quan Chi needs is sheer, unmitigated bloodlust. That hes doing something more physically strenuous and doesnt use magic to back him up makes his achievement more impressive. As for where that rage came from, Quan Chi made his debut in the kid-friendly cartoon, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, where fatalities and gore are off limits. Once he came over to the games, he had something to prove.

8. Razors Edge (Kung Lao, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBS7TJEViwM
The first time Kung Lao used his hat as a trap instead of a projectile or cutting weapon. While the Mortal Kombat X version has the opponent being cut by the saw headfirst, this one has the edge because they go feet first. Kung Lao has to be more proactive here in dragging the opponent into the saw, not to mention the cut begins at the groin. Youll want to wince and put a protective hand between your legs after watching this one!

7. Meat Slicer (Kung Lao, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMmizb5q9wA
This time, the hat is floating in midair. Is there anything it cant do? Kung Lao doesnt settle for merely pushing the opponent into it either. He toys with them, spinning them around and moving closer and further away to cut pieces of them off at a time. For a guy who has such a simple gimmick, Kung Lao has gotten a lot of mileage out of it, and its somehow yet to get old.

6. Tele-copter (Kenshi, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HRVec7np18
Like Kung Lao, Kenshi also levitates his weapon and uses it as a trap. However, Kenshi turns it sideways for use as a fan, then levitating the unfortunate opponent into it to dice them to bits. The result is predictably messy, but a touch of focused gore gets in as slow motion is used to show the opponent making contact with the blade and their face being sliced off. The most impressive thing about this fatality is that Kenshi is able to stay dry during it. Did he use telekinesis for that too, or did he position himself in the perfect spot to stay dry?

5. Royal Blender (Kitana, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32lTz1nOkHU
Do you know whats better than being diced with one fan? Being diced with two fans, thats what! Suffering this from both ends, with the fans meeting in the middle when theres nothing left of you must be awful. What makes it even worse is that the two fans dont start at the same time the bottom one gets a head start so that the opponent gets to live long enough to realize whats happening to them before their head gets shredded.

4. Make a Wish (Noob, MK9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpoRR7tOPdA
Noob summons a shadow clone to join him in playing with the opponent, but they havent quite grasped the concept of sharing yet This game was no stranger to violence, but this fatality is particularly shocking with how gruesome it is. Other fatalities where people are ripped apart are relatively quick, but this one draws it out, and also has the opponent in a very uncomfortable pose while theyre being killed. Rumour has it theres a friendship version of this, which involves Noob and the clone not ripping the opponent all the way, instead taking them to Disneyland as one last positive experience before they die of their traumatic injuries. Okay, so I started the rumour right this moment...

3. Mind Game (Quan Chi, MKX)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlmSffmd9hA
I first saw this fatality in a trailer for MKX, which cut to the logo just as the hypnotised, slack-jawed opponent walks into the knife. That definitely made a scary impression on me! This full version is even worse, with how they continually walk into the knife, all the way to the hilt, and all with little reaction besides sickening gurgling noises. Quan Chi finishing them off by levitating then dropping them to cut them in half is almost merciful by this point.

2. Double Trouble (Noob, MK11)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYhhwd-Ow4
If you thought that Noob and his shadow couldnt find a way to top the last time they ripped someone in half, you are sorely mistaken! Kintaro tearing his way out of someone was bad enough, but the shadow clone is worse because Kintaro takes a while to come out, and ripping off the arms isnt that bad by Mortal Kombat standards. The shadow clone is faster, and comes up through the mouth, with the first look we get at it being its fingers coming up and out of the opponents mouth, forcing it open. Just imagine having that stuck in your throat, and no amount of coughing, gagging or vomiting will clear the blockage, because the blockage has a will of its own. Death is a kindness when it comes, as you no longer have to deal with that.

1. Temporal Execution (Geras, MK1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r7buSMprPI
Kronika and Quan Chi have fatalities that go on forever. Geras laughs at those amateurs, as this fatality carries on forever across dimensions! Geras attacks his opponent with the severed head of their own counterpart from an alternate timeline, before presenting it to them as a gift. I love the audio cue as they look at the head, suggesting that theyre slowly comprehending what exactly it is theyre looking at. Just before the D4C-esque existential crisis can begin, the cycle begins anew! Violence, comedy, creativity, originality, scale This fatality has it all, making it a worthy winner. Flawless victory!

On that note, the kountdown is over! Thank you to everyone who has read along, and I hope you enjoyed this topic as much as I did. We're not quite finished yet, however. As I promised at the start, I will look at the fatalities for the currently released DLC characters and kameos as well. Look forward to that soon!

I liked Geras' Temporal Execution Fatality too, not gonna lie.

Very cool ranking! I was actually wondering if Geras was going to end up #1, that fatality in combo with god Liu Kang really kind of raised the bar in MK1

Noob getting 2 in the top 5 is wild but I can't really argue

Now for the DLC characters. I'll start with the first character and kameo pair today, with the next pair to follow tomorrow. As these aren't an official part of the ranking, they're getting an unofficial rough placement at the end of each entry.

Trained Killer (Omni Man)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL-vdFF8B4c
Omni Man just went up to Leatherface and said You dont seem to understand. The best guest fatality isnt yours to conquer. The only thing I know about Omni Man are some of the memes (Look what they need to mimic a fraction of our power is my favourite, although Think, think! grew on me after this game made him say it and do the pose when he wins a round), so I assume his fatalities reference things he does in the show. This one is unique in that, although it doesnt cause a whole lot of damage to the opponent until the end, there is a lot of collateral damage from the other passengers on the train all crashing into them. This fatality gives you a good insight into (what I imagine to be) Omni Mans personality, that hes all-powerful but also arrogant, and makes no attempt to minimize civilian casualties in his battles.
Rough placement: Number 20

Like Putty (Omni Man)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG_vreeVhq0
Did the Viltrum Empire have access to Game of Thrones, or did Omni Man watch it after he came to Earth? Either way, he one-ups the Mountain with this head squash. Not only does he squeeze until an eye pops out like the Mountain did, he then uses the head as a weapon to destroy the rest of the body. The stomp is the last bit of dominance Omni Man needed, to show just how insignificant his opponent is to him. Speaking of the Mountain, remember that time the High Sparrows men picked a fight with him, and he ripped that one dudes spine out with his bare hands? That was wild. He could have had a shot at being a guest character back in MK11, but hes missed his chance now that Game of Thrones is over and its popularity has tanked.
Rough placement: Number 82

Disembowling Ball (Tremor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wve43itUMNs
Tremor is one of the kameo characters to get a new fatality, even though he already had ones to work with. Maybe they were too elaborate to recreate for a kameo? Anyway, this one isnt bad at all despite its simplicity. The boulder growing larger as it rolls towards the opponent is fun, as it absorbs rocks from the earth like a deadly Katamari. The squashed opponent also looks really pulped and messy after being squashed, which gets across how much that boulder was weighing down on them while it rolled over them. Fun fact: The Black Dragons were disqualified from the factions bowling league for cheating because Tremor bowled a perfect game every time.
Rough placement: Number 105

GavsEvans123 posted...

Fun fact: The Black Dragons were disqualified from the factions bowling league for cheating because Tremor bowled a perfect game every time.

This is the reason I still take Tekken over Mortal Kombat

https://imgur.com/FwgpJp5

Every day Bamco doesn't release Tekken Bowling as a standalone game is a day they leave money on the table. There was an app, but even that was free!

Pentamagic Trick (Quan Chi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdA4pmr_gFc
Either that glass is reinforced to stop it from breaking on impact, or Quan Chi was dropping very carefully, hard enough to slice up his opponent, but not so hard as to make the glass break. Slicing into six pieces isnt something weve seen before, and the best part is when the fleshy ribbons fall once Quan Chi removes the glass. However, this is very quick and restrained for an MK1 fatality for a playable character. Even some of the kameos are more elaborate than this.
Rough placement: Number 359

Final Offering (Quan Chi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKoqsT30JEI
Quan Chis first fatality may have been a little underwhelming by MK1 standards, but this one more than makes up for it. This is essentially a combination of his MK9 X-ray (the neck snap is reused wholesale from that, though it is of course deadly here) and the hypnosis fatality from MKX. The thought of a person being made to end their own life while under hypnosis is terrifying enough in MKX when they didnt react much to their pain. This time, its even worse as theyre screaming while mutilating themselves, as if suffering such pain is threatening to break the hypnosis, but they arent able to resist for long enough.
Rough placement: Number 3

Fantasize (Khameleon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HkyLCsKhfQ
Khameleons gimmick is that she uses the moves from various other female ninjas (in this game, she uses moves from Kitana, Mileena and Jade). However, only two of the ninjas appear in her fatality. The lack of a move from Jade in the fatality is very disappointing. Maybe she could have used Jades staff to pole vault up and shoot the head with Mileenas sai? That said, what is here is at least pretty decent. Kitana has had beheading fatalities in the older games, and this continues that tradition, while adding more onto it. Finally, allow me to extend a warm-hearted congratulations to Khameleon for finally graduating from the No-Fatality Losers Club! Suck it, Chameleon!
Rough placement: Number 343

I don't know why but Tremor throwing a Boulder up into his shoulders for virtually no reason on the victory screen cracked me up

It wasn't even like a "look how strong I am" pose, he just decided to hold a Boulder

Yeah, I was also disappointed at Khameleon not using Jade's staff in her Fatality.